Missing Girl Found Dead in River as Parents Face Child Endangerment Charges

(Saylor And Her Parents. Photo by Daily Mail)

A five-year-old girl who could not speak has been found d£ad in a river near her family's rented home in South Carolina.

Her parents have been arrested and charged with child endangerment and abandonment.

John Herb Hayes III, 70, and Geordyn Nichole Haynes, 31, were taken into custody Tuesday night.

Authorities say they failed to properly watch their daughter Saylor, who was autistic and nonverbal.

The girl had a tendency to wander away and was drawn to water.

Saylor was supposed to be wearing a tracking device that had been fitted by authorities in Virginia, where the family normally lives.

But she was not wearing it when she went missing from the rental property on Pawleys Island on Sunday.

Police found the tracking device later it was sitting in a vehicle back in Virginia.

According to arrest warrants, the parents left the child unsupervised near a body of water just 15 metres away.

The girl had a known history of running off and was attracted to water, making this an unreasonable risk for a child who could not speak for help.

When Saylor disappeared, the parents allegedly steered search efforts in the wrong direction.

They encouraged rescuers to use tracking technology even though they knew she wasn't wearing the device.

They also told search teams to look away from the nearby water the very place where her body was eventually found.

The disappearance prompted a massive search.

The US Coast Guard sent a vessel, helicopters were deployed, and underwater drones were used.

Hundreds of neighbours searched their own properties and surrounding areas.

Some tried to lure the girl by walking with pets and asking an ice cream truck to play music in the neighbourhood.

Saylor's body was recovered from the water behind the rental home.

An autopsy was scheduled but the coroner found no visible signs of injury.

The cause of d£ath remains under investigation.

The sheriff said that after an extensive investigation, there was enough evidence to charge the parents.

He noted that adults who care for children have a duty to protect them, especially those who cannot protect themselves.

He called Saylor a vulnerable child who depended on the adults responsible for her and said she deserved to be safe and protected.